Chapter 264: Divide
The conflict near the Red Molten River spanned almost three days.
Apart from the Flame Beetle, Sein managed to kill three Rank One pyro elemental creatures and numerous others of lower ranks.
His achievements, however, were not a solo endeavor. This was not because Sein lacked the courage to fight solo, but rather the chaotic nature of the battlefield made such opportunities impossible.
Furthermore, the overwhelming strength of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring allowed them to dominate the battlefield.
Besides, this was an interplanar war that involved four divine towers, including the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, to conquer a relatively small world.
In truth, the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame alone could have easily overwhelmed this world.
The reason Grandmaster Feylis involved the other three divine towers was not only to accelerate the war but also offer valuable experience to her disciples.
Given these advantageous conditions, a prolonged or challenging war would have been a dishonor to both the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame and the Magus World.
Fortunately, the battle concluded swiftly, aided by the strategic placement of magic prohibition arrays and traps laid by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, leaving the enemies hiding in the lava river with no escape.
Despite the relatively short battle, Sein experienced mental exhaustion from the intense use of magic spells.
“Luckily full-fledged mages can harness elemental energy from the environment. If I have to rely only on the mana in my body, I probably could only last half a day,” Sein reflected with a sigh.
Although the battle involving Sein and the other mages had concluded, the intense conflict between the Rank Three at the heart of the Red Molten River was still going on.
After three relentless days of countless spells and elemental bombardments, the creature bore numerous wounds, yet it stubbornly refused to succumb.
As the dominant force among the pyro elemental creatures of the area, its resilience and durability were unparalleled among Rank Three creatures.
The war airship in the sky unleashed another devastating assault. With the Red Bladed Lizard King held in place by the two Rank Three grand mages, the airship’s main cannon scored a direct hit on its back.
The energy beam from the main cannon vaporized its long, thorn-like crimson spine, leaving a gaping, seared hole on its back.
The creature let out an agonized roar that reverberated through the Red Molten River area.
“Assist the two Rank Three grand mages! Finish off the Red Bladed Lizard King as quickly as possible!” Master Jovian’s voice rang out through the battlefield and reached Sein.
A verdant fireball appeared in Sein’s hand again, as he, along with hundreds of other mages, converged their attacks on the Red Bladed Lizard King.
***
A day later, the colossal Red Bladed Lizard King finally plummeted from the air with a sorrowful wail.
It plunged into the Red Molten River, causing a spectacular eruption of lava that reached as high as several hundred meters.
By then, the river’s temperature had significantly decreased from the relentless elemental disturbance.
A large portion of the red lava had stopped flowing and solidified into black stones, providing a stable surface for Sein and the other mages to walk on.
Only the central region of the Red Molten River continued to flow, retaining its searing heat.
There, only a third of the Red Bladed Lizard King’s massive corpse was visible above the lava surface, with the remainder submerged.
Despite the presence of numerous pyro elemental creatures in the vicinity, they had already lost their will to fight a day earlier. The downfall of the Rank Three Red Bladed Lizard King only hastened their despair.
The defeat of the Red Bladed Lizard King was not only a significant milestone in Sein and his comrades’ mission but also the imminent feast for the enslaved creatures that had aided them in battle.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound of bones being crushed and devoured filled the air.
Standing at an imposing height of five meters, a one-eyed giant with grayish-green skin seized several smaller pyro elemental creatures, each about half a meter tall, and ruthlessly crammed them into its huge mouth.
This cyclops was a formidable enslaved creature that had supported Sein and the others in this battle. Sein had assessed its strength to be on par with a quasi-ranked creature.
The heavy spiked cudgel that it wielded in battle now lay discarded at its feet.
The origins of the cyclops remained a mystery. As it feasted, the scorching blood of the pyro elemental creatures spilled over its lips, producing a searing hiss upon contact. Yet, the cyclops remained unfazed as it relished each bite of its meal with visible pleasure.
A faint aura of pyro elemental energy surged in its body. Should it survive the interplanar conflict, it might well ascend to Rank One.
Meanwhile, the battlefield transformed into a grim feast for the enslaved creatures, including the cyclops.
Sein and the other mages also happily began to scavenge the spoils of war.
The chaotic nature of the battle meant that no single pyro elemental creature was claimed by any one mage.
The loot would be divided among them like Sein’s earlier encounter with the Flame Salamanders at the black volcano area—they would each take a body part of the creature.
The mages of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring displayed a commendable sense of humility and cooperation, each only selecting materials they found personally useful.
Even in the case of the Flame Beetle that Sein initially engaged, the Rank One mage who had “stolen his kill” only claimed six pairs of the creature’s legs, leaving the rest of the spoils for Sein.
Sein was naturally very pleased with this outcome. He had affirmed that the divine tower mages conducted themselves with far greater honor compared to the black mages.
To the native pyro elemental creatures, particularly those below Rank One, the sight of these foreign mages fervently gathering the remains of their stronger kin was a harrowing sight that would undoubtedly leave a deep scar on their fragile soul.
As Sein had also participated in the takedown of the formidable Rank Three Red Bladed Lizard King, he was duly rewarded at the battle’s conclusion with a vial of the creature’s blood.